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Vegas trip secured!

Who will the Thunder, Bucks play?

Last night, two of the four teams that will travel to Las Vegas to compete for the NBA Cup emerged. (And as the well-coiffed Jared Greenberg told us on the TNT broadcast, each player earned at least $100,000 to advance to the semifinals.) The Bucks outlasted the injured Magic, 114-109, thanks to 37 points, seven rebounds and four Blocks away from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Then the Thunder beat the Mavericks 118-104 as they relied on 39 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 20 of them total 3s, and scored 36 points off 19 Dallas turnovers.

Let’s take a look at tonight’s two matchups that will determine who the Bucks and Thunder play on Saturday:

Hawks at Knicks, 7 p.m. on ESPN: Here we go again! Trae Young and the Hawks will try to ruin the Knicks’ good time. We saw this matchup in the 2021 NBA Playoffs when there was a lot of drama in the first-round series. Since then, Young has been a villain at Madison Square Garden, but this is also the best Knicks team he’s ever played against. New York has the best offense in basketball, so the Hawks will have to be at their best on both ends of the court.

• Hawks injuries: Jalen Johnson (shoulder) missed last game.
• Knicks Injuries: Mitchell Robinson (knee) is out.
• Atlanta forecast high temperatures for Saturday: 50 degrees 🧣
• NYC forecast high temperatures for Saturday: 42 degrees 🧣🧥
• Season series: The Hawks beat the Knicks 121-116 in Atlanta earlier this season, getting 33 points from No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher. The Knicks made 22 3-pointers in this game.
• Hawks odds: +2000 to win the NBA Cup
• Knicks odds: +350 to win the NBA Cup
• Forecast: Buckling in a tight spot.

Warriors at Rockets, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN: For years, the Warriors stood in the way of the Rockets competing for an NBA championship. Now they’re trying to get into Houston and stop the Rockets from competing for the NBA Cup. These teams have two of the best defenses in the league. Steph Curry vs. Dillon Brooks? Draymond Green vs. Alperen Şengün? Big play from Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green? Sign me up.

• Warrior Injuries: De’Anthony Melton (ACL) is out. Andrew Wiggins (ankle) missed the last game.
• Missile injuries: Tari Eason (concussion) and Fred VanVleet (knee) both missed the final game.
• San Francisco forecast high temperatures for Saturday: 57 degrees ☂️
• Houston forecast high temperatures for Saturday: 67 degrees ☂️
• Season series: The Warriors are 2-0 against Houston this season. They beat the Rockets 127-121 in overtime on Nov. 2 and again last Thursday 99-93.
• Warriors odds: +750 to win the NBA Cup
• Rockets odds: +600 to win the NBA Cup
• Forecast: Warriors take it.

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The last 24

A top recruit’s landing spot might shock you

🏀 He’s going where?! Top 2025 recruit AJ Dybantsa commits to BYU. Yes, BYU.

🗽 Was he better? Is Jalen Brunson even better than what we saw last year? JE3 has the story.

🔒 Orlando defends. Jamahl Mosley’s key to great defense is simple: Don’t let yourself be punished.

👀 What’s wrong with the Lakers, you ask? Jovan Buha has the answers.

🤔 Could a Zion Williamson trade happen? Jump-starting the Pelicans’ rebuild? Will Guillory explores trading ideas for New Orleans.

✍️ Marcus Thompson has done it again. This time he explains the science behind it Anthony Edwards new “super pretty” sweater.

🎤 Jamal Crawford signed. The three-time Sixth Man of the Year signed with NBC for their upcoming NBA coverage. Next up is Reggie Miller?

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Executive Rankings

The capriciousness of front office success

The trio of Sam Amick, John Hollinger and Mike Vorkunov compiled this anonymous front office ranking today after surveying 40 different senior NBA executives. It worked largely like an award voting system, with different points levels for first, second or third place in the process. And the leaders couldn’t vote for their own organization.

Thunder GM Sam Presti and his front office – hoarders of countless first-round picks – were considered a top team. It’s no surprise that the West’s top team with a bright present and a bright future took first place.

I’m not even sure there could be many questions about the top three considering their success over the years. For the Celtics and Thunder, success now and in the future is obvious. For the Heat, their ability to often surprise people with deeper-than-expected playoff runs — while cultivating gems from players few have heard of — brings appreciation from their teammates.

I actually find the next five names in this table fascinating because they are so highly regarded by other executives. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t do it either. But let’s break it down into three different categories.

The small farmers

According to Sports Media Watch, the Orlando and Memphis media markets rank 14th and 26th, respectively. The existence of a professional team in a medium or small market is often seen as a barrier to talent acquisition. You need to be able to acquire players in the draft without causing difficulties in building your roster. You also need to find the proverbial jewels that haven’t yet been discovered or thrown away.

Memphis and Orlando have excelled in both areas in recent years. The Grizzlies have become experts at drafting, selecting Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant and Desmond Bane (draft night trade) in consecutive years. Recently, they’ve found second-round success with Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson, as well as other rotation players, roaming summer leagues and G League play. That’s why they were able to survive injuries so well. Orlando has occasionally struggled here and there, but the acquisition of Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero in consecutive years has laid the foundation. Smart trades rounded out the list. And recognizing the value in discarded guys like Goga Bitadze has helped them rise in the East.

The abrupt leap forward

Interestingly, Minnesota and Cleveland ranked fifth and eighth, respectively. Tim Connelly has long been known as a top executive for his work in Denver, but the Minnesota president came under public fire in the first year after taking over from Rudy Gobert – as did the Wolves. Some considered it the worst trade in league history because they gave up getting him after a mediocre season. Then last year they reached the Western Conference finals after defeating the defending champion Nuggets. The headlines about the Wolves’ ownership dispute didn’t add to the public conversation, but that doesn’t mean Minnesota executives don’t command respect from their peers, as evidenced by the front office that received the most praise since 2004.

Now we move to Cleveland, which was criticized at the end of last season for being stagnant and not ready for the playoffs. Two disappointing (but also somewhat understandable) losses in the postseason left many wondering when they could significantly overhaul the core to build it around Evan Mobley and one of their star guards. But they convinced Donovan Mitchell to stay in overtime and got off to a historic start this season (15-0).

The Knicks

For years, my public stance on what the Knicks needed to do was very simple: Just stop being a punchline in NBA discourse. This was something that James Dolan and Co. struggled with for a long time, especially in the Phil Jackson era. Then Leon Rose and company took over one of the NBA’s most exciting teams and built it intelligently. Transforming the Knicks from punchline to puncher is something many believed wasn’t possible during the Dolan era.

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Jimmy Butler acts?

Analysis of 3 potential landing sites

Our old pal Shams Charania reported yesterday that the Miami Heat are open to trade talks for six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection Jimmy Butler. The 35-year-old star is making $48.7 million this year and has a player option of $52.4 million for next season. He helped turn the Heat back into a team that could compete for a title in 2020, something that hadn’t happened since 2014.

With the CBA currently putting pressure on teams’ finances and future prospects, like the snake hugging Jon Voight at the end of “Anaconda,” getting this deal done this season could be pretty complicated. But let’s look at three reported potential destinations for Butler’s services.

Warriors (14-9, fifth in the West)

For a Butler deal, Golden State probably makes the most sense for a few reasons. Anthony Slater reported potential interest back in May as he looked at the next phase of the Warriors’ rebuild. Golden State has plenty of assets in Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski, and also has full control over their future first-round picks outside of 2030 (top-20 protected, thanks to Washington). The fit and schedule make sense as the Warriors look for a true second option that fits their style. Butler is a year younger than Steph Curry. Historically, he has also been willing to step into the duties of bigger stars within a team hierarchy. Not to mention, the five-time All-Defensive selection fits Golden State’s philosophy of being great on both ends.

Mavericks (16-9, fourth in the West)

We have to assume that Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II are all off the table in a potential trade for Butler. Therefore, we consider Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Jaden Hardy and Quentin Grimes as potential trade options. Dallas owes a debut win in 2027 to Charlotte (Top-2 Protected) and a debut win in 2029 to Brooklyn, and they have no control over their debuts in 2028 or 2030. That means a deal could be difficult. But the fit would essentially make Butler the perfect superhero version of Washington from last year’s finals.

Rockets (16-8, third in the West)

Houston took its rebuild seriously by bringing in key veterans and hiring Ime Udoka to introduce the young talent to winning. We’ve seen Butler do just that at multiple stops. The Rockets wouldn’t sign Alperen Şengün in a deal, but someone else might be available. And they have plenty of depth and fascinating young players. Houston also has some pick swaps (Brooklyn) and plenty of firsts in the future to throw against Miami.

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(Top photo: Megan Briggs / Getty Images )